Vashon COVID Update
Delta Wave of COVID Has Taken Hold on Vashon
Vaccination Has Been Working
 
This is a COVID Update from Vashon Medical Reserve Corps and VashonBePrepared.
 
Vashon COVID cases have jumped significantly over the last six weeks. After staying flat at 121 cases through June, Vashon’s total pandemic case count has jumped to 138. Cases on Vashon have been increasing at the rate of about one per day. Roughly one-fifth of the cases are in kids, 11 years and younger, who are not yet eligible for vaccination. With the Delta variant being dominant, in this wave, kids are much more likely to display symptoms than before. 
 
Fortunately, vaccination has been working and we have not had a massive spike on Vashon like the one experienced in November and December before vaccination was available. Vashon has not had a new hospitalization since January. Vaccinated individuals who become ill generally have mild symptoms as predicted by the vaccine clinical trials and they continue to be protected against death or hospitalization.
 
However, given the surge of Delta cases nationwide, it’s important to understand that recent studies show that vaccinated persons can transmit the virus to others. The Delta variant is also more infectious. These findings reflect the much larger amount of virus that people infected with Delta carry in their nose and is also consistent with recent experience that suggests Delta requires a reduced exposure time for infection if you’re around someone who is infectious. That’s why it is doubly important now to avoid infection, so it doesn’t spread and possibly breed new variants. 
 
The best defense to avoid getting sick is to get vaccinated.  Even though vaccine doesn’t prevent all disease, it’s a fact that full vaccination greatly reduces chances of infection and reduces symptoms if you are infected. On Vashon 83% of our 12 and older residents are fully vaccinated and 93% have received at least one dose of vaccine. Nevertheless, about half of the recent cases are fully vaccinated individuals. So many people on Vashon are vaccinated, it increases the odds that relatively rare cases of COVID in the vaccinated would be concentrated on the island.
 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study concluded that completing both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines significantly increases protection against severe disease, from 82% for one dose to 94% for 2 doses.  If you’ve received your first dose, but delayed the second, get your second dose without delay. In this uncertain time, you can keep yourself, your family and the Vashon community safe by getting vaccinated to reduce COVID risk.
 
Masks are key tools to prevent spread for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Washington Department of Health and Public Health — Seattle & King County strongly recommend all persons wear masks in public indoor spaces. This applies to all persons vaccinated and non-vaccinated. Please respect requests of local businesses or organizations for masks or vaccinations to help protect our community.
 
If you have symptoms or believe you were exposed to someone with COVID, call Vashon’s Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), at (844) 469-4554to get an assessment of your risk and to facilitate testing. For more information on COVID testing and other COVID matters go to: VashonBePrepared.org/COVID/Testing